Maternal, Adolescent and Child Health

The Department of Maternal, Adolescent and Child Health is part of the School of Public Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It is a department-level unit working on maternal, adolescent and child health within the school.

Its publication profile centres on HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health, contraceptive technologies and adolescent and youth health. Research examines hormonal contraception, genital tract immunity and antiretroviral pharmacology, often through clinical trials and translational studies, alongside work on gender-based violence and the social determinants of health.

Further themes include family planning, youth wellbeing and the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 on young people, addressed through mixed-methods and community-engaged research. The research is focused on countries in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly South Africa.